Art of spinning



Dec..22, 193s. P, b, CANNON 23064,:321

ART OF 'SPINNING Filed March 3, 1933 QPnZZip D. Cannon.

BY fm1/@Md ATTORNEY o 1 INVENTOR R Patented Dee. 22, i935- A1 UNirED STATES PATENT OFFICE am' or SPINNING Application March 3,

7 Claims.

This invention relates to the art of spinning andparticularly to a method and machine for spinning short, diiicultly spinnable iibers and forming either a single yarn or multiply yarn on one machine. y y

In conventional spinning of asbestos bers, for example, the bers to be spun are iirst formed into unspun'or untwisted elongated masses or slivers, hereinafter referred to as roving. The roving is then formed into a self-sustaining unit or cheese.` The roving is withdrawn from the cheese, by unrollng with friction drive, without spinning of the yarn, and is Vled to a rotating member'or spindle and twisted at a point adjacent to the rotating member. The yarn may be led through a course of substantial length before being twisted or spun. Thus, in mule-spinning, the length of the course travelled by the incompletely spun strand may be as much aswsix feet. In spinning asbestos bers by such methods, it has been found necessary to use a relatively longiibered and expensive material, in order to minimize breakage of the strand before it is strengthened by twisting. Also, reenforcing wires are sometimes necessary.

The present invention comprises a method of spinning short asbestos bers or the like at a point immediately adjacent to that at which the bers, in the form of roving, are withdrawn from thei cheese. Also, the invention comprises a method-of forming a multiply yarn including a plurality of strands spun individually adjacent to the point of withdrawal from the cheese and then twisted together into the multiply yarn in one operation. Further, the invention comprises a machine for manufacturing the products described, including means for twisting the ,roving adjacent to the point of withdrawal from the cheese, means for leading one or a plurality ofV individual strands, so spun, in approximately parallel relationship to means for stopping the rotation of the spun strand or strands, and, when a plurality of strands are used, means' f or twisting the said strands with each other, in a direction opposite to that of the spin in the individual strand.

The invention is illustrated inthe drawing in which:

Fig. 1 shows a front view, partly diagrammatic, of a machine and assembly representing a pre- .ferred embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 shows a similar but side view taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1 and partly in section; f

Fig. 3 shows a longitudinal view, partly in section, of an apparatus used for rotating the selfsustaining unit of roving, with the unit inplace; and

Fig. 4 shows an end view of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 3.

In the various figures like reference characters denote like parts.

Thus, there are shown means for rotating a self-sustaining mass or unit of roving and leading it to a rotation-preventing point, comprising a can I,'provided with suitable driving mechanism, indicated generally at 2, and supported upon a framework 3. Inside the can there is a spindle and arbor assembly li. Mounted upon the arbor is a cheese 5 of asbestos roving. Feeding and rotation-preventing means, including the toproll 6 and the lower or front roll I, lead the strand 8 of asbestos, from the rotating cheese, through the guide 9, at the top of the can in the cross member III, over the rod II, and through ay second guide or eyelet I2.

The guide 9 mounted at the top of the can and not substantially thereabove connes the ballooning of the roving inside the can. This minimizes the danger of breakage of the strand of difEIcultly spinnable iibers. the strand is reduced also by the fact that the can or cylinder I surrounding the cheese is rotated synchronously therewith.

The can containing the cheese is rotated in such a direction, with respect to the direction of winding ofthe roving on the cheese, that the rotation alone would tend to tighten rather than unwindvthe roving. The said rolls 6 and l, on the other hand, Withdraw the roving from the cheese, in the form of a single strand, at a rate determined by the speed of rotation of the said rollers about their axes I3 and Iii, respectively. The can I has a depth which is substantially greater than the cheese 5 placed therein, so that the can projects a substantial distance above the cheese, in the direction of withdrawal of the strand therefrom. During the rotation of the can and the withdrawal of roving, the ballooning of the latter is limitedmy the side walls of the can. Also, the friction oft/'the yarn upon the walls of the can provides afiesirable braking action particularly free troni-sudden Variations and tendency to break a weak strand.

The tendency to breakage of Up to this point the strand withdrawn from the outside of the cheese or unit is permitted to move in a free course, that is, without restriction upon its movement except for the limitation of the ballooning and a minimum of friction as the strand contacts with the inside of the can or passes through the eyelets.

The yarn, which is now in spun condition, is led between the rotation-preventing and feeding rollers 6 and 1, through an eyelet I5, to the traveler I6, and wrapped around the spool I1, mounted upon the rotating spindle I8. The direction of the rotation of the spindle and spool may be opposite to that of the cheese, whereby additional spinning is imparted to the strand at a point between the rollers 6 and 1 and the spindle, at a point adjacent to the spindle.

An assembly suitable for such an operation in spinning a single strand is indicated in the vertical assembly including the single can I9 in Fig. 1.

When it is desired to form a finished yarn comprising a plurality of separately spun strands,there may be used a plurality of cans supplying spun strands to adjacent position on thesaid rollers 6 and 1. Such an assembly is illustrated in Fig. 1, in the positions in which 2 or3 cans'are arranged one above the other, and also in Fig. 2. As illustrated,

the several cans are adapted tov spin the roving to form individually spun strands, which are then led through the. common eyelet I2 and between the rolls 6 and 'I, the several strands passing through in proximity to each other andi in approximately parallel relationship. If desired, there may also be led between the rolls, near the point stated, a strand or strands of other material, as,' for example, a s'trand 20 of brass wire.

lIn any case, the several plies or strands are led from the rolls 6 and I and twisted together in a direction opposite to that in the twist 'in the individuaily spun strands. I Thus the several strands, extending side by side, are led through the eyelet I5, the traveler I6, and around the spool I1 mounted on the rotating spindle I8.

It will be understood that conventional equipment may be used in'association with the features that are novel. Thus, usual driving and speed lsynchronizing or regulating means may be employed. For example, there may be used a belt- 2I for driving the spindle, and conventional plates 22 provided with rings in which move the travelers I6.

vWith equipment of the type described,'there may be spun asbestos bers of shorter length than can be spun satisfactorily by `previously used methods or machinery. Thus, there may be spun self-sustaining strands of asbestos bers of such average length that not more than approximately half by weight, say less than 65%, are retained on a 4meshV screen in the standard asbestos screen test in which the screen and sample thereon are shakenfor two minutes. of an asbestos that has been spun satisfactorilJ, either with or without a reenforcing wire, follows:

Percentage Screen by Weight On 2-mmh- Y 6 Through 2-mesh and on i-me'sh 37 Throughfd-mesh and on 10-mes 38 Through 10-mesh 19 Total 100 Asbestos yarn spun by my method and apparatus, from such relatively very short bers, has

The screen testl a breaking strength that is approximately equal to that of standard asbestos yarn made from longer bers by a conventional method and machine and of the same weight per thousand yards.

Furthermore, by the method and apparatus described, it is possible to accomplish the desired result of making a multiply strand containing strands that are individually slackly spun, whereas the nished multiply yarn product may be relatively tightly spun. Thus, it is possible by the present invention toprovide individual strands with 4 to 5 twists per linear inch, as compared to 7 twists for mule-spun yarn of 10-cut type, that is, weighing 1 pound per 1,000-yards of length.

The details that have been given' are for the purpose of illustration and not restriction, and many variations within the scope of the appended claims may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What I yclaim is:

1. The method of spinning` asbestos fibers which y ,synchronously therewith, and leading the strand in a course that is free and that permits spinning from a point immediately adjacent to the said unit to a point at which rotation of the strand is prevented.

2. The method of spinning asbestos fibers which comprises forming short asbestos bers into roving, forming the roving into a self-sustaining unit, rotating the unit at a selected speed and withdrawing roving from the outside thereof in the form of a single rotating strand, conning the resulting-ballooning of the roving to the inside of a cylinder surrounding the said unit and rotated synchronously therewith, leading the said strand to a spindle, and rotating the spindle in direction opposite that of the said unit, whereby the roving is subjected tospinning at a point immediately adjacent to the self-sustaining unit and the spun strand is subjected to additional spinning at a point adjacent to the rotating spindle.

3. In making a yarn comprising a plurality of separately spun and then twisted strands of asbestos bers, the method which comprises spinning the strands individually and passing' them to the rotation-preventing point as described in claim 1, drawing the separately spun strands from the said point in proximity and approximately parallel relationship to each other, and then twisting them together, the twisting being made in the opposite direction from that of the original spinning of the individual strands.

4. A machine, adapted for use in spinning iibers, comprising the combination of means for rotating a self-sustaining unit of roving and withdrawing roving from the outside thereof in a free course permitting spinning at a point immediately adjacent to the said unit, means disrality of strands of brous material and then twisting together the several strands into a muitiply yarn, the said machine including a plurality of combinations of means described in claim 4 for slackly spinning the individual strands, means each at a given point for .preventing the rotation of the spun strands, means for drawing the several spun strands, through the rotation-preventing means, in proximity and in apprqximately parallel relationship to each other, and` means for twisting tightly the several strands into mul\ tiply yarn in a direction opposite to that of the twist spun in the individual strands.

6. A machine, adapted for use in spinning roving of asbestos bers and the like, comprising the combination of means for supporting and rotating a self-sustaining unit of the roving and withdrawing roving therefrom, a cylinder disposed around the roving, means for rotating the cylinder synchronously with the roving and a guide member located not substantially above the end of the said cylinder, for limiting the ballooning or the roving to the inside of the cylinder.

'1. In making a wire-reenforced asbestos yarn, the method which comprises forming short asbestos bers into roving, winding the roving into a self-sustaining unit adapted to permit withdrawal of the roving therefrom, rotating the unit, nnwinding and-withdrawing the roving from` the rotating unit, the said unit being rotated upon an axis extending approximately parallel to the general direction of the withdrawal of the roving,

Ato cause twisting of the roving substantially at the point of the said withdrawal, leading the strand in a course that is free and that permits from a point immediately adjacent to the unit to a point at which rotation of the strand is prevented, leading a wire through the said point, and then twisting the wire and said strand together.

PBILLIP D. CANNON. 

